I have been starting to go half crazy not fishing since October and thought I had to wait till June 15th to fish my local rivers,but upon reading the actual regs I found it to be June 1st for the whole season to be open!!! Two weeks sooner than I thought!!!
On top of that I even found that stretches of some rivers some what close, in my old home waters to be open even earlier at April 1st. While run off from the mountains may muck up some of the fishing, it’ll atleast be some place to fish besides the lakes, when ever the ice clears off
Twice last year while BS’ing with elderly fellows on a creek I found out they were drowning worms to catch the fish. When I told them that this was illegal they were amazed and I believe they were not trying to pull a fast one. So I agree - - it sure doesn’t hurt to spend a little extra time and read about what waters are open and closed and what fishing methods are legal.
I was paying 5 bucks a pop to fish a TVA “Permit” lake and was thinking about just paying the 40 bucks for a yearly permit. Got in to the “Fine Print” and discovered that seniors (over 65) don’t need one!!
Read the Regs.
Every year I have to tell some people that this lake or that lake is flyfish only or single barbless hook only. Then I usually have to loan them a rod and either take them out in my boat or show them how to fish from shore with a fly rod and my flies. It makes for really good friends . It really pays to have the regs handy in the truck heated arguments can be avoided that way. Most people just don’t know and apprecieate being told. Some are rude but thats the chance you take for butting your nose in.
The fellow I watched shotgunning spawning carp in an oxbow I left for the Dept of fisheries and the cops to handle. Scarey looking dude. :shock:
I usually carry a copy myself, but since moving I was brushing up, and realozed some dates I was overlooking, Nice thing for me is it opens more possibilitys early season for me than I was aware were open.